Elath

biblical_place_name theological_term standard

Elath was a biblical city and seaport near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, associated with Edom and southern Judah. It is a place-name, not a doctrinal term.

At a Glance

A southern biblical port city linked with Edom and the Red Sea trade route.

Key Points

Located near the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba
Appears in Old Testament historical narratives
Associated with Edom, Judah, and trade
Sometimes discussed alongside Ezion-geber

Description

Elath is a biblical city and seaport near the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, usually associated with the wider region of Edom and with the trade routes of the southern Levant. It appears in Old Testament historical contexts involving royal administration, military control, and commerce, including references in the reigns of Solomon, Uzziah (Azariah), and Ahaz. The city’s location makes it significant for understanding Israel’s access to southern trade and the shifting control of border regions. Elath is therefore best understood as a place-name with historical and geographic importance rather than as a doctrinal or theological term.

Biblical Context

Elath appears in the historical books as part of the southern frontier world of Israel and Judah. The city is connected with royal building and trade under Solomon, and later with Judah’s conflicts and territorial losses or recoveries in relation to Edom and surrounding powers.

Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, ports on the Gulf of Aqaba mattered for trade and regional power. Elath belongs to that strategic setting and helps explain why control of the southern corridor was politically important for Israel and Judah.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israelite geography, the far southern region marked the boundary between settled Judahite territory and Edomite lands. Elath would have been understood as part of that border and trade network, not as a symbolic theological idea.

Primary Key Texts

1 Kings 9:26
2 Kings 14:22
2 Kings 16:6

Secondary Key Texts

Deuteronomy 2:8
2 Chronicles 26:2

Original Language Note

Hebrew place-name, often transliterated Elath; closely related in form to other southern geographic names in biblical Hebrew.

Theological Significance

Elath has no direct doctrinal content, but it contributes to the biblical historical setting. It helps locate events in the narrative of Israel and Judah and illustrates God’s providence in the political and geographic realities of the Old Testament world.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place-name, Elath reminds readers that biblical revelation is grounded in real geography and history. The Bible’s theological message comes through actual events and locations, not abstract ideas detached from the world.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Elath as a theological category. Its relationship to Ezion-geber is often discussed in biblical geography, and the two names may refer to closely related or overlapping sites. Avoid overprecision beyond the biblical data.

Major Views

Most interpreters place Elath near the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the southern borderlands of Edom. Discussion usually concerns geographic identification and the relationship between Elath and Ezion-geber rather than any doctrinal disagreement.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Elath is not a doctrine, symbol, or covenantal term. It should be handled as a biblical geographic location.

Practical Significance

Elath helps readers follow the Old Testament’s southern military and trade narratives. It also highlights how geography shaped Israel’s history, prosperity, and conflict with neighboring peoples.

Related Entries

Edom
Ezion-geber
Gulf of Aqaba
Judah
Solomon
Uzziah

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Elath